An Inventory of Commissioner of Health Correspondence at
the
Texas State Archives,
1976-1980,
1982-1987, 1994-2003

The Texas
Department of
Health was the State of Texas' primary
agency for public health planning, services, and regulation until it was
abolished in 2004 and absorbed into the Texas
Department of State Health Services. The Department of Health consisted of the
Commissioner of
Health,
the administrative staff, and the chest hospitals at San Antonio and
Harlingen. Correspondence of the Office of the Commissioner of Health was
written in the course of its overall management of the
Department of
Health and dates 1976-1980, 1982-1987, 1994-2003. In addition to
correspondence,
other types of records include Texas Department of Health memos and
reports.

Until it was abolished in 2004 and absorbed into the Texas
Department of State Health Services, the Texas Department of Health was the
latest successor in a line of health-related state agencies: the Texas
Quarantine Department (1879-1903), the Texas Department of Public Health and
Vital Statistics (1903-1909), the Texas State Department of Health (1909-1975),
and the Texas Department of Health Resources (1975-1977). The department
became
the State of Texas' primary
agency for public health planning, services, and regulation.

The Texas Department of Health consisted of the Commissioner of
Health,
the administrative staff, and the chest hospitals at San Antonio and
Harlingen.
The Commissioner of Health was appointed every two years by the
Texas
Board of Health to be the administrative head of the Texas Department of
Health and was required to be licensed to practice medicine in Texas.
The
commissioner was given overall management duties and powers of the
Department of
Health and was assisted in oversight functions by deputy commissioners,
assistant deputy commissioners, and associate commissioners. By 1999, the
Commissioner of Health headed an Executive Deputy
Commissioner
and four deputy commissioners. The deputy commissioners led Community
Health
and Prevention with six subsidiary bureaus; Health Care Financing with nine
subsidiary bureaus; Public Health Sciences and Quality with ten subsidiary
bureaus; and Administration which provided support services, legal
services,
and management and administrative services. Additionally, the Department
was
associated with the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel, the Texas Radiation
Advisory Board, the Council of Sex Offender Treatment, the Toxic Substances
Coordinating Committee, and the Health Professions Council.

During
the course of the 20th century, the responsibilities of the Department
continued to evolve from its original concern to isolate and prevent epidemic
diseases
such
as cholera, smallpox, and typhoid fever. In 1903, the 28th Legislature, in
Senate Substitute Bill 168, assigned to the Department the task of
maintaining
birth and death records and changed its name to the Texas Department of
Public
Health and Vital Statistics to reflect its new role. Six years later, in
1909,
the name was changed again to the Texas State Department of Health, as
growing
concern over the safety and purity of food and water supplies resulted in
new
legislation at both the federal and state levels. The enforcement
responsibilities were given to the public health agencies. During the
Depression, new federal laws
encouraged
the states to provide limited kinds of medical and dental care for the
poor. In
1946 the U.S. Hospital Survey and Construction Act began providing matching
federal funds for hospital construction and renovation under the
Hill-Burton
program in coordination with state health agencies. Late in the century
the Texas
Department of Health developed a variety of disease-prevention programs. In
1975 (House Bill 2164, 64th Legislature, Regular Session), the Texas Health
Planning and Development Act added the responsibility of overall planning
of
all health facilities and services in the state, and the State Department
of
Health became the Texas Department of Health Resources, governed by the
Board
of Health Resources. Their names were changed to
the
Texas Board of Health and the Texas Department of Health in 1977.

From 1991, the Department of Health acted under the budgetary
oversight of the Health and Human Services Commission, which acted as an
umbrella organization to integrate the strategic planning and budget
request
processes for the state's major health and human services agencies. By
2002, the
agency
had over 5500 employees and an annual budget in excess of $6
billion
(including federal funds).

House Bill 2292 (78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2003) merged
twelve state health and human services agencies into five, officially
abolishing the Texas Department of Health (effective September 1, 2004) and
creating the new Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). DSHS took
over all of the "powers, duties, functions, programs, and activities" of the
Department of Health. (In addition it assumed the duties of the Texas
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas Health Care Information
Council, and the mental health and state hospital operations formerly under the
Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.) The governing body
is the DSHS Council, composed of nine members of the public appointed by the
governor with the advice and consent of the state senate. These nine members,
representing all geographic areas of the state and reflecting the ethnic
diversity of the state, "must have demonstrated an interest in and knowledge of
problems and available services related to public health, mental health, or
substance abuse." They serve staggered six-year terms.

The Texas Department of
Health was the State of Texas' primary
agency for public health planning, services, and regulation until it was
abolished in 2004 and absorbed into the Texas
Department of State Health Services. The Department of Health consisted of the
Commissioner of
Health,
the administrative staff, and the chest hospitals at San Antonio and
Harlingen. Correspondence of the Office of the Commissioner of Health was
written in the course of its overall management of the
Department of
Health and dates 1976-1980, 1982-1987, 1994-2003. In addition to
correspondence,
other types of records include Texas Department of Health memos and
reports.

Most of the records from the tenures of
Commissioners
Fratis L. Duff, M.D. and Raymond T. Moore, M.D. (a deputy commissioner who
replaced Dr. Duff when he retired in December 1978) consist of copies of the
correspondence of Robert D.
Moreton,
the Chairman of the Board of Health. These copies of the chairman's
correspondence were apparently sent to the commissioners as their file
copy.
Correspondence is also present from the tenures of Robert Bernstein, M.D
(1980-1991); David R. Smith, M.D. (1993-1998); William R. Archer III, M.D.
(1998-2000); Eduardo J. Sanchez, M.D. (2001-2004; then commissioner of the
Texas Department of State Health Services until October 2006); and Charles
Bell, M.D., deputy executive commissioner who served as acting commissioner
from November 2000-October 2001.

Correspondents include the Chairman of the Board of Health, Robert
D.
Moreton; other Board members; Department of Health officials; state and
federal
agencies; legislators and congressmen; doctors and other members of medical
professions; nursing home administrators; health organizations;
corporations
and businesses; and private citizens. Texas state agencies represented in
the
correspondence include the Office of the Governor, Water Commission, Air
Control Board, Department of Agriculture, State Auditor, and Health and
Human
Services Coordinating Council.

A broad array of subjects are covered in the correspondence
including
Department of Health administration, proposed state and federal
legislation,
federal environmental and health regulations, Medicare payments to the
state,
and response to complaints or requests for help in the investigation of
health
matters. Specific health topics discussed in the correspondence include the
Texas state health plan, vision screening guidelines for school children,
childhood cancer treatments, drug resistant tuberculosis and treatment at
the
state chest hospitals, inspections of nursing homes, oil and hazardous
substances spill contingency plans, unauthorized dumps as health hazards,
low-level radioactive waste regulation, and many other health and safety
issues.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily
reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to
provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

Arrangement of the Records

Records are grouped in roughly chronological order by State
Archives staff. General correspondence
dating 1985-1987 is arranged by division, then chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted
and
may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials
received
by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The
researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17
U.S.C.).

These records were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the
Texas Department of Health on July 30, 1990 and on August 6, 2004; and by
the Texas Department of State Health Services on February 14, 2005
and February 10, 2006.